HONOLULU PEN WOMEN BOARD MEETING

Whatever event Shan attends will have her hibiscus flowers gracing the table

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, Honolulu Pen Women officers of the old and new boards 

met for lunch at Sabra's to share information and materials.  

The new board is now officially in charge.  Yay!

President ANN GOMMERS and Corresponding Secretary MARION COSTE

 Treasurer SHAN CORREA with past Lorin Tarr Gill Writing Competition Chair SUSAN KILLEEN
and ALICE FOLKART who is staying on as Registrar

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, which is my birthday!  There's a chance I'll be presenting something we've never done before.  Stay tuned!

HONOLULU PEN WOMEN APRIL 2, 2014 MEETING

Featured Speakers:

LAVONNE LEONG & JANE GILLESPIE

Topic:  

“How to Make a Children's Book in Ten Easy (And Not So Easy) Steps”

Author Lavonne Leong and Beach House Press publisher Jane Gillespie spoke about the story behind the making of the children's book UP IN THE HAWAIIAN SKY, from concept and pitch through illustration, publication and distribution at a time when the book publishing industry is constantly changing.

 LAVONNE LEONG

As an award-winning writer and editor, Lavonne Leong has tracked down politicians, hunted rare insects, haunted archives, undangled participles, and harvested taro with her toes. She has been a contributing writer/editor for Honolulu and Hawai‘i Business magazines, and is an Editor-at-Large for San Francisco-based Red Bridge Press. Up in the Hawaiian Sky (Beach House Press 2013) is Lavonne’s first book for children. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and thousands of books in a little yellow house in Honolulu. 

JANE GILLESPIE: 

Through her award-winning regional press, Beach House Publishing, Jane Gillespie has published dozens of children's books and apps, including the popular Gecko and Hide & Seek in Hawaii series.

 

  Welcome to new membesr Rosemary Mild (Letters)

And Marion Coste (Letters)

Victoria, Queen of Introductions

HONOLULU PEN WOMEN MARCH 5, 2014 MEETING

Artist and Writer, ANN GOMMERS, presented

“LIFE WRITTEN IN STONE: The Magic of Picture Rocks”

Ann Gommers entertained our 65 members and guests with a compelling story about the 2006 transfer of part of her family’s land back to the Passamaquoddy Tribe. It was a significant event because the land holds the largest petroglyph site on the Atlantic Coast in Maine.

To open her presentation Ann used the “Time Compression Method,” taught by Mark Travis, to condense her bio into a three minute story.  Photographs by her husband Peter made Ann’s presentation visually compelling as well.

To commemorate the transfer she and the daughter of the Tribal Chief, also an artist, launched The Equinox Petroglyph Project (www.equinoxpetroglyphproject.com) which resulted in over 100 works of art being created, interpreting the petroglyphs from a female and child’s perspective.  The Exhibition traveled throughout the State of Maine for three years.

Ann also told of her family’s efforts to rejuvenate the nearly lost culture of the Passamaquoddy (only 1500 survive today from the original 40,000) by bringing three Elders from the Ojibwe Nation to Maine to teach and reacquaint the Passamaquoddy with their nearly lost traditions.

Ann also shared the photographs that her husband took of the usually buried petroglyphs at the Haleiwa end of Sunset Beach. They last appeared in full form in 2005, so they have not been studied as much as other petroglyphs in the State of Hawaii.

The audience expressed their appreciation by giving Ann Gommers a long and heartfelt applause. 

Here are some pictures of the meeting.